


Dragon Slayer A-Z Prompt Fic

by Bluelinklover



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: A-Z, Drunken New Year's party, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, Gajeel is a good big brother, Geese Are Assholes, Happy is a little shit, I always liked the idea of mah boys having at least one ear pierced, Igneel is mentioned, Maid Costumes, Multi, Natsu gets sick, Natsu is a bookworm confirmed, Or at least he tries to be, Prompt Fic, Purring, Tags to be Added as Updated, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, may contain traces of angst, then again so is Gray
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-12 18:30:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21480904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluelinklover/pseuds/Bluelinklover
Summary: I saw a Gratsu Alphabet Fic and figured I'd try it with the dragon slayers instead. There won't be any smut, I view the dragon slayers as brothers and sister so it'll be based around that.
Relationships: Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox, Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster, Rogue Cheney/Sting Eucliffe
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51





	1. Argument

Natsu was so angry.  
He'd had a fight with Gajeel over something incredibly stupid and it got out of hand really quickly. 

Insults were thrown as were some punches, but what hurt the most was when Gajeel had said that the reason Natsu was still unmated was because he was weak. 

Before anyone really understood what had happened Natsu fled into the crowded streets of Magnolia. Deep down he knows that Gajeel hadn't meant it, but it still stung. 

Natsu wasn't sure how long he'd been roaming the streets but now it was getting dark, he's sure that Wendy will have begged Sting and Rogue to help her find him by now. 

He feels bad for making the young dragon slayers worried.. With a sigh, Natsu found himself in front of a bakery that seemed familiar. With a tilt of his head and a couple identifying sniffs, Natsu came to realize that it was Erza's favorite bakery. 

He simply stands there for a few moments, worrying his bottom lip as he debated whether or not he wanted to go inside and eat his feelings. In the end, his stomach had the final say and he found himself sulking his way in. 

"Good evening! Welcome to Magnolia Delights! How may I help you?" Asks a kind old man at the counter. He raised a brow at the fire mage as he waited for him to shuffle to the display case. 

Immediately the old man recognized the guild mark on the young man's right shoulder, a small smile coming to his face. "Rough day?" He asks, attempting to make small talk to cheer up the lovable fire dragon slayer. 

He received a shrug in response. "This one, please." Natsu mumbles, pointing to a slice of delicious looking chocolate mousse cake. The store owner nods and makes his way over to display to get the piece. "For here or to go?" He asks.

"Here." Natsu replies. 

The old man nods once more and places the piece of cake onto a white plate with a pretty, raised golden flower design. He brings it over to the counter and rings it up. "Anything else today? I have a delicious hot tea that would pair wonderfully with this." He says. 

Natsu shakes his head, the old man nods and finishes the transaction. "Your total is 3 jewels." Natsu nods and hands the man his money, grabs his cake and a fork and sulks over to one of the empty tables by the window. 

He sighs as he picks at it, his free hand holding his face up as his elbow rested on the table top. "Welcome to Magnolia Delights, how may I help you?" The old man greets as the bell on the door dings. Natsu can practically hear the man sweating in terror and he looks up to see Gajeel standing there, looking around with an almost menacing glare on his face. 

It showed that he wasn't playing around and that he had a single goal in mind. As he looked around the store, his gaze eventually settled into Natsu, causing that hard face to soften. "I followed your scent here.." he mumbles, seemingly to answer the question Natsu's raised eyebrow asked. 

Natsu huffed and returned to picking at his plate as Gajeel made his way over and sat next to him. There were a few minutes of tense silence before the iron dragon slayer spoke. "I'm.. I'm sorry. For what I said." His gaze was cast down at the table in shame. 

Natsu glanced up again to see it, pausing his picking as he seemed to be in thought. Then he cut a piece and ate it. The silence continued. A sigh sounded, followed by the pinching of a pierced nose bridge. "Natsu.." he says, tapering off into a low whine. He didn't like it when his younger siblings were mad at him. 

"I'm sorry Natsu, I hurt you with what I said. I was way out of line and I what to make it up to you." Gajeel says, waiting for any sort of response. He would be satisfied with the simplest huff. But he received no such reply.

"C'mon Natsu.." Gajeel took to begging. Natsu looked away. Gajeel's shoulders slumped. Natsu sighed, pushing his plate to the middle of the table and grabbing a second fork. "You really hurt me Gajeel.." the dragon slayer in question flinched at the roughness in Natsu's voice. He could tell his baby brother had been crying. 

"I know.. i regret it deeply.." Gajeel replied. Natsu looked back at him and handed him a fork. "Do you.. Do you really think I'm weak..?" He asks, suddenly finding the cake more interesting. Gajeel felt another twinge of guilt stab him in the back. "No. Your not weak. You've never been weak. I was out of line calling you so. Why don't we can another piece to go and find the others? They're worried about you." 

Natsu looks up again, shoulders sagging as he nodded. They finished the current slice before getting five more to go. "So.. I was thinkin'.." Gajeel starts, a somewhat unsettling smile on his face. 

"That's already a bad sign." Natsu mumbles in reply, causing Gajeel to sputter and huff. "I was thinkin' that since you like that pervy stripper so much, he could come over for dinner one night. Wednesday's my day to cook, i could make somethin' good." He says, watching Natsu's fax carefully. 

"Natsu?" He leans forward, looking closer at the fire mage. Natsu looked.. red? Holy- something came out or him! "Natsu??" Gajeel shakes the fire dragon slayers shoulders. 

"Uhm yeah..?" Natsu replies, voice sounding somewhat cracked. His eyes looked like comical spirals. "You got it bag huh?" The older dragon slayer smirks, now it's Natsu's turn to sputter. He had to admit.. he really did like Gray.. but he wasn't sure if the ice mage felt the same, so he just never brought it up. 

But.. he thinks this will work. He had an older brother, two younger brothers, and a little sister. And now he was a step closer to having a mate. For the first time since Igneel left.. he felt like he belonged.


	2. Bets

"What? Hell no! No way!" 

"Oh come on! It'll be fun!" 

"Absolutely not!"

"Idiots.."

"Aye.."

It was a nice, sunny day in Magnolia. The guild known as Fairy Tail was lively as ever, though this time, for a different reason. 

"C'mon Gajeel it'll be fun!" Said a blonde, light using dragon slayer. 

"I said NO! I refuse to get pulled into your childish fights." Replied a black haired, iron wielding dragon slayer. 

"But-!" 

"No!"

"Your no fun.."

Gajeel huffed, shaking his head and rubbing his temples. Sometimes being the oldest brother really sucked. Sting and Natsu were betting on who was stronger, Gajeel, or Laxus. Natsu seemed to think it was a no brainer, Gajeel could easily beat Laxus! Right? But Sting on the other hand said Laxus was definitely stronger than Gajeel. 

This caused a small brawl to break out between the Dragon Slayer siblings. Causing poor Gajeel to sigh and rub his temples again. He didn't want to deal with this today. 

"Then let's make a bet!" Natsu shouted, the guild hall went silent. Any bet proposed by Natsu always ended up with someone doing something incredibly hilarious or stupid. "Name your bet!" Sting replied, smirking wide. 

"I bet on Gaheel, you bet on Laxus, whoever loses this bet has to let Lucy and Erza dress them in girls clothes and they have to be their mates servant for the day!"

Oh boy. 

Laxus snorted, he found this entire thing to be quite funny if he were honest. Rogue on the other hand, looked as if he wanted the Earth to swallow him up at that very moment. He was so embarrassed for his mate….

"Deal!" Sting shouted back. 

Erza and Lucy couldn't wait to see who lost, already they had an evil gleam in their eyes. Even poor Happy started to float away in fear. 

And so, the bet was on. And what a bet it turned out to be. 

In the end Gajeel and Laxus teamed up and threw the match, making both Sting and Natsu the losers. "That not fair!" "Yeah you guys cheated!" 

"Sorry boys a lost bet is a lost bet, and now.. Gihihi." 

The two Dragon Slayers in question gulp. They were not prepared. 

-

"How can anyone even breath in this thing?!" Natsu shouted, flailing his arms as Erza was trying to force him into a maid outfit that looked suspiciously like Virgos. 

"I think it looks good~" Sting retorts, striking a little pose. He seemed to be taking it strangely well. "Yeah, well, that's cause your a toothpick!" Sting rolls his eyes at that one.

"Was that supposed to be an insult? Cause it was weak."

"Oh shut up.."

"Ok, now hold still so I can do your make-up." Lucy says as she digs around in the bag she kept it in. Once she found what she was looking for she smiled bright and turned to Sting to start on him since he was already fully dressed in his outfit.

"Where's your headband? You need to put it on to keep your hair out of the way so I can do the make-up." Lucy tells him, Sting huffs and looks around for it. He finds it quickly and puts it on so Lucy could do her thing. 

She decides to skip the foundation on both of them since they had pretty faces already, so she sticks to the basics. A little smidge of blush, a touch of eyeliner, a hint of shine on the eyelids to really bring out their eyes, lipstick to finish the whole deal. "perfect!" She giggles as she looks over her handy work. 

"I did an amazing job, what do you think Erza?" Lucy says to to red head, who pauses in her search for something to look over the make-up. She hums. "very nice. Now for the finishing touches.." she giggles evilly, pulling two dusters from behind her back. Both dragon slayers' noses scrunch up at the thought of acting the part of maids.

It wasn't long after that that the girls introduced Gray and Rogue to their 'maids', but oh boy the looks on their faces when they saw them. It was absolutely priceless and Gajeel wished he had a camera lacrima. Luckily for him, Reedus had already painted a picture to commemorate this moment. 

The penalty of the bet didn't last long, unfortunately for Gajeel and Laxus. The two were back at each others throats again in ten minutes flat, but everyone had a good time and drank until the early hours in the morning. 

No one questioned the fact that they had found Sting curled up around Rogue in the closet the next morning, or the fact that Gray had somehow lost his underwear on a ceiling beam, perhaps they already knew. 

Or perhaps they didn't, and didn't want to. Either way, no one can deny the strange noises they heard, or the fact that they were traumatized the when Gray walked to the bar buck naked and very hung over.


	3. Canines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is probably longer then the first two, hope it's still good though!

The first time Gray noticed Natsu's abnormally long canines was the night of Fairy Tails New Year's Eve party.

It was the one day that the mages of this guild tried very hard not to start drinking before 5pm. They knew they'd need that stamina for the festivities later that night.

By the time 8 o' clock rolled around most of the members were already buzzed or well past plastered. One such member was the lovable Fire Dragon Slayer, Natsu Dragneel. 

He was loud, invasive of personal space, and overall very happy to be with his family. This was before they were mates, if Gray remembered correctly, so Natsu was drunkenly hitting on several of the cute members. 

Lucy, surprisingly, took it in stride. She already knew Natsu's preference and would get her payback by shoving him in the direction of several single guys who weren't entirely sure what to do with this ball of blazing energy. 

She snickers as she watches Natsu fumble about until he, unfortunately for Gray, stumbles into the ice mages lap. There he makes himself comfortable, empty mug in hand as he wraps his free arm around Gray's neck, his legs propped up by the empty stool next to them. 

"Has anyone tolds you that you look really good without a shirt?" Natsu giggles, slurring as he leaned in close to Gray's face. The ice mage could smell the heavy scent of the alcohol on the Dragon Slayers breath, any attempts to lean back away from the person Intruding his personal space is quickly thwarted when the arm around his neck tightens, pulling him closer. 

That's when he notices them, those long canines.. they make him shiver. He can't help but wonder why a human would need such long teeth for. Was it a dragon trait? Gajeel he could understand, the man eats metal, but Natsu? It seems strange. Come to think of it, he also noticed that Wendy had canines longer then an average girls as well. 

The thought it quickly shaken from him when he heard soft snores from his lap. That fucker just fell asleep on him!

-

The second time Gray noticed Natsu's canines was when he and Natsu were fighting. It went like it typically did, insults were thrown, quickly followed by tables being flipped which was then followed by punches being thrown. 

The fight had turned into wrestling on the floor which then turned into Gray sitting on Natsu's stomach while the fire mage pouted, but it was quickly replaced with a wide grin when he saw his siblings. That's when Gray noticed the canines again. 

For some odd reason he feels the need to touch them. He's so enthralled that he doesn't realize Natsu is no longer under him until he's being pulled up by his ear by a concerned Erza. He blinks. Once. Twice. Then he feels the sharp sting of a slap. 

"What the hell Erza?" He huffs.

"You spaced out, what is going on?" The requip mage in question demands. Gray looks over at Natsu again, who is being held in a headlock and getting his hair ruffled by Gajeel while Wendy laughs and giggles at her older siblings antics. 

Gray thinks he should ask Gajeel about the purpose of a dragon slayers fangs.

So that's what he does. 

The next morning he finds him sitting alone at his usual spot and sits across from him. Gajeel pauses his munching on a bolt and stares at him. Gray fidgets. "What do ya want brat?" He huffs, continuing his meal. 

Gray rubs the back of his neck. "I was.. wondering.. what are dragon slayers canines for? I noticed Natsu's is.. well, abnormally long, so I was curious." He sputters out. Gajeel raises an eyebrow. He seems.. amused. Gray isn't sure how he feels about that. 

"Well, depends. The long canines are used for multiple things. If we're talkin' dragons then they're used for catching pray and rippin' it apart." He starts, scratching his chin with a finger. 

"But for slayers.. well, they help me break through metal easier so there's that. But they're also for self defence, especially for when we're young. They can still be used for self defence as an adult but by then we have magic so.." Gajeel shrugs. 

He pops another bolt into his mouth. "We also use it to give our mating bite." He adds, tapping the right side of his neck. Dull teeth marks could be seen. "hey Levy! C'mere a minute!" He calls, the script mage perks up, smiling when she realizes it's Gajeel that called. She makes her way over. 

"What's up?" She asks, Gajeel waves her closer. She leans down and Gajeel carefully pulls the collar of her shirt away from her neck. "This is what a dragon slayers mating bite looks like." He tells gray. The difference was obvious. The scar was more pronounced, it looked much deeper where the canines were. Gray couldn't help but shudder. 

"Thanks babe." Gajeel leans in and nips her neck as a thank you, she playfully smacks him and laughs. "Happy to educate!" She waves as she trots off back to the rest of Team Shadow Gear. "Anything else you wanted to ask?" Gajeel says, eyes trained on a now flustered Gray. 

The ice mage in question was totally zoned out, never noticing the armor clad hand raised and ready to strike right behind him. 

Gajeel wonders how things will go for Natsu and his little ice wizard. But one thing he knows for sure is that if he hurts Natsu..

He's a dead man.


	4. Damaged

Gray was not doing well this week. He'd had constant nightmares about his village being attacked by Deliora, followed by flashes of memories of when Ur preformed Iced Shield. He'd woke up in a cold sweat over that one. 

He'd tried to go back to sleep, he really did. But sleep just wouldn't come. Eventually he found himself wandering the streets in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. It wasn't even ten minutes later that he found himself lost in the forest. He sighs, running a hand through his hair as he looks around. 

It seems familiar, somehow, but his sleep deprived brain just couldn't make out where he'd seen it before. So he keeps walking. Eventually, it starts to rain. He mentally curses himself for not thinking to bring a jacket, oh well. Not really anything he can do about it now. 

"Gray?" Asked a familiar, male voice behind him. The ice mage turns, seeing sloppy pink hair and questioning olive green eyes. "What..?" He mumbles in reply, he winces at the crack his voice gives. And by the looks of it, the other winced as well. 

"You shouldn't be out here, there's a really bad storm rolling in." The pink haired mage said, for some reason, Gray can't put a name to the face. "No shit really?" He says sarcastically. The other rolls his eyes. "Come on, my house isn't far from here. You can stay there until the storm let's up." 

Gray doesn't have the chance to argue before a strong hand grips his arm and starts pulling him through the trees. As promised, the forest opened up into a clearing with a cozy looking home. "Come on, we're both soaked now." Gray simply huffed as he was pulled inside. 

"Gajeel, Wendy, im back!" The mage called, he got a squeal in response followed by a thud and a curse from a different room. "Natsu! Welcome back! Did you get the firewood?" Wendy asked, practically bouncing where she stood. Gray watched as Natsu, he remembers that name now, nodded. 

"Yup! I already had it stored and covered when I caught the scent of peppermint and fresh snow. I'd know that scent anywhere so I followed it and found ice prick here. We're both soaked so I'm gonna get him some clothes, it's really coming down out there." The fire mage replies. 

"So I guess I should set another place at the table tonight?" Gajeel says as he enters the living area, absent of his shirt and in a pair of shorts that went to the knees. His hair was flatter then usual, he ran a hand through it. It seemed like he'd just showered. 

"Yeah, Sting and Rogue are still at Sabertooth, but they said they'd visit soon." Natsu responds with a nod. He turns back to Gray, who seems to have zoned out, Natsu rolls his eyes and grips his arm again, leading him past through the living area with the kitchen opposite of it and down the hall to the very back bedroom.

"Sit." Natsu instructs, leaving Gray by a chair by the door. Gray blinks a couple of times, come out of his daze and looking around. He noticed Natsu rummaging around in some drawers. He continues looking, it looks like a bedroom.. but there isn't a bed. Instead there's a fireplace on the east wall, a window directly opposite of it, a door to the North, directly in front of him, and a mess of blankets in the middle of the room, sort of off center and more towards the fireplace. 

It looks.. surprisingly nice. In Gray's opinion. 

"Here." He hears to his left, he looks and sees Natsu handing him a dry long sleeve shirt and a pair if sweat pants. "Bathrooms through there," he jerks his head towards the door Gray noticed earlier. "You can shower if you want. Just ront use the red bottle, its for cleaning scales." 

Gray nods and takes the clothes, making his way to the bathroom. It's a nice little bathroom. It's got a decent sided tub with a shower curtain, fluffy towels hanging beside it. He strips his wet clothes and sets the dry ones on the toilet lid, as he turned to start the shower he caught a glimpse of his reflection. He really looked awful..

Gray shakes his head and sets back to his task. He sees the bottles, one red, three green and a white one. He plucks one of the green ones and sniffs it. It smells nice, sort of a nature scent but with a hint of floral. He guessed that these were shampoo, which should mean the white one was conditioner. His thoughts are confirmed when he takes a whiff. It smells like cream and honey. 

He's quick to shower, dry and redress, though he's not sure how he feels about wearing Natsu's clothes. They're a little big on him. When he steps out of the bathroom with his wet clothes wrapped in the towel je used, hes greeted by Wendy. "Gajeel says to put your dirty clothes in the open space by the kitchen, then sit in the living room until dinner." She says before skipping off. 

Gray thinks he stepped into an alternate dimension for a moment. Gajeel and Natsu living in the same house? It's too weird to think. But he simply shrugs and does as he's told. When he reaches the living room he's immediately assaulted with a delicious smell. He turns to find Gajeel slaving away at the stove, his mouth waters at the thought of what the Iron Dragon Slayer could be making. 

"Gray!" Wendy calls, he whips his head around and is surprised by a sight he never thought he'd see. Natsu and Wendy are sitting on the couch, Wendy smiling up at Gray as Natsu worked away putting her hair into a braid. "Oh.. hi?" Gray mentally smacked himself. 'hi'? Really? That was lame. 

Luckily for his pride, the female Dragon Slayer didn't seem to mind. She simply patted the couch next to her. Gray fiddled with the sleeve of his borrowed shirt as he looked around, spotting a little blue cat bed with Happy and Carla happily curled up inside and fast asleep. 

He shuffles his way over to the couch and sits next to the Slayer siblings, watching them curiously. Natsu had a smile on his face as he finished up the braid and tied a little bow at the end for good measure. "All done!" He announces, Wendy jumps up and does a little twirl. "Thank you Natsu!" She giggles and runs off to the kitchen. 

"What do you think Gajeel? Natsu said it's called a Dragon Braid." She seems very happy with it as she shows it off to her eldest brother. Gajeel glances over and smiles. A genuine soft smile. "Looks good brat." He replies. She seems happy with the response and skips along to the back bedroom. 

Gray watches until he feels the couch shift, when he looks back he sees Natsu jad settled back against it with his eyes closed, letting out a little yawn that showed off his canines. The ice mage couldn't help but find it cute. "So. Wanna tell me why you were wandering around the forest?" Natsu suddenly asks, startling poor Gray. 

He rubs the back of his neck. "Not really.." he mumbled back. Natsu didn't bring it up again. Soon dinner was ready and Gajeel had everything set up before he allowed anyone to enter the little dining area they had off to the side by the kitchen, it was only separated by an island counter. 

As soon as everyone was seated Gajeel said a little prayer to the dragons and everyone dug in. Gray was surprised by how civil Natsu and Gajeel could be, he never would have thought that it was possible for the fire mage to eat without acting like a complete slob. 

Once dinner was eaten dishes were gathered and dried by Wendy and washed and put away by Natsu, as soon as that was done the kitchen was cleaned and Gajeel picked Wendy up and threw her over his shoulder, causing her to squeal happily. Natsu chuckled and gestured for Gray to follow, which he did. 

He found himself in the back bedroom again, this time, the mess of blankets was occupied by Gajeel laying propped up against a giant pillow with Wendy laying across his lap with a smaller pillow under her and a book in her hand. Natsu pat's gray on the back and smiles softly at him. 

"I know it's not a bed, but hopefully you find our nest as comfortable as we do." The pink haired mage says to him. Gray can only go where he's lead, him limbs already feeling heavy from the tired feeling quickly washing over him. Once he's settled he feels Natsu crawl in beside him, he realizes he's being sandwiched between the Dragon Slayers. It makes a light blush rise up on his cheeks, but.. it is nice and warm.. so maybe it couldn't hurt. Just for tonight, anyway. 

"I know your past haunts you, but you can always talk about it, whenever your ready." Were the words Natsu whispered to him before Gray fell into a deep sleep. 

For the first time in nearly a week, nightmares didn't haunt his dreams. He didn't wake up sweating and shaking. He felt warm and comfortable. He felt.. safe.


	5. Echoes

Mirajane was worried. Natsu hasn't shown up to the guild for a couple of days now. Gray is gone on a solo mission and won't be back until next week, Gajeel left on a mission with Team Shadow Gear, even Wendy was gone on a mission with Lucy and Erza, taking her Exceed with her. She didn't know who else she could send to check up on the Fire Dragon Slayer.

She scanned the guild hall as she served members, desperately trying to find someone she could send to check on him. She realizes as she scans that she doesn't see Happy either, she knows he wasn't on a mission, maybe he's with Natsu? She worries her bottom lip. 

Then she spots HIM. Maybe she could send him.. No one's really stupid enough to argue with The She-Devil, after all. With a not so innocent smirk she makes her way over to the table that sat The Thunder Legion. "Hello Laxus, I need a favor." She says sweetly. When Laxus looks up, he feels that this isn't so much a favor as it is an order and a silent threat. 

"You want me to what?" He stares stupidly at her. Surely he'd misheard this crazy woman. "Don't you ever listen silly? I want you to go and check up on Natsu. He hasn't shown up in a couple days and neither has happy. I'm worried about them." 

Laxus rolls his eyes. "Maybe he's on a mission." He mumbles. Mira gives him this look that he's sure means he's going to die a bloody death soon. "He isn't on a mission, I've already checked. Now go and check on him." She makes a 'shoo' motion and Laxus begrudgingly stands to leave. As he does, so does the rest of The Thunder Legion. He raises a brow. 

Evergreen gives him a look that seems a little unsettling, but she and Bickslow simply shrug. Freed scratches his chin with a finger. "We don't really have anything better to do, so why not tag along?" Laxus can understand that logic. They weren't hurting for Jewel and there were no S-Class missions that caught his interest, so off they went to check up on the annoying salamander known as Natsu. 

Laxus was surprised by how long the walk was to Natsu's stupid little hut in the woods, but once they finally found it, he knocked on the door. When there wasn't an answer he tried the knob. That idiot really needs to learn how to lock the door. "Yo brat, you here?" Laxus calls, the house is dark and there still isn't any reply. Strange. 

Walking in and shutting the door behind them, "Doesn't that idiot have at least a candle somewhere..?" Laxus mumbles, finally finding a light switch. That's when he heard it. A harsh coughing coming from the back bedroom. He shrugs his coat off and throws it onto the couch as he makes his way through the living area and down the hall until he comes to a stop at the back bedroom door. 

He listens closely for a few moments, the sound of ragged breathing catching his attention before he turned the knob and opened the door. There, curled up in a mess of blankets and pillows, laid the annoyance he'd been looking for. He wonders if the boys sense of smell isn't quite working right, since he doesn't seem to have been noticed. 

"Laxus..?" He hears a familiar voice behind him. He turns and is met by Natsu's blue Exceed. "Mirajane sent me, what's wrong with the brat?" He asks Happy, jabbing a finger behind himself. Happy makes an '0' shape with his mouth before he sprouts wings and floats off down the hall. "Natsu's sick, he started having coughing fits three mornings ago, then just last night he got a really bad fever." Happy tells him, he tilts his head and his ears flick when he sees the rest of Thunder Legion snooping about. 

"I see." Freed is the one to reply. Happy simply shrugs. "It happens. Sometimes his magic energy builds up too much, too fast and other times it's because he was out in the rain for too long. I don't think it's either of these things though.. he usually gets better after a couple of days.." Happy's ears droop. "I'm worried about him.. he started mumbling things that didn't make sense this morning. The only thing I could understand was 'Igneel'."

Bickslow and Evergreen perk up, they'd heard of this infamous 'Igneel', but they thought it ridiculous. Dragons just simply didn't exist. Suddenly there was a shout from the back bedroom, Happy's eyes went wide and he took off, busting the door open and hovering just above Natsu as he tried to identify what was wrong. The Thunder Legion wasn't far behind him as they were all too curious now. 

"No.. nooo.. Igneel.. don't leave.." Natsu mumbles, Happy feels bad that he can't do anything to help his best friend. "Hnn.." Natsu's eyes slowly opened, they were glazed over and unfocused. "Happy..?" He asked, sounding very stuffy. "I'm right here Natsu, how do I help?" Happy replies, paws touching Natsu's very warm cheeks. He has to pull away because they're starting to burn him. 

"The voices.. they won't stop echoing in my head.. they're so loud.." Natsu whimpers. "Make them stop.. they keep mocking me.. telling me that Igneel isn't real cause dragons don't exist.." he hiccups, tears spilled from his glazed over eyes as he struggled to sit up. "I..Im sorry Natsu. I don't know how.." Happy bites his bottom lip, now more worried. 

He looks up at Laxus. "He doesn't usually have fever dreams.. I dunno what to do.." Laxus' eyes narrow as he watches Natsu closely. The pink haired mage is holding his head in his hands, fingers gripping his hair tightly, almost painfully it seems. "What was he doing before he got sick?" Freed asks. Happy makes a thinking face with a paw at his chin. 

"He was training in the forest. I remember watching him from the river I was fishing at. He said he had a duel with Erza when she came back so he wanted to brush up on his techniques, but the next thing I know he's face first in the dirt!" Happy explains. "He woke up a couple hours later and was feeling a lot better, but while I was cleaning up around the house I heard strange noises. When I went to look I found Natsu crying in the nest."

"What was he crying about, do you know?" Evergreen asks. Happy thinks. "I'm not sure.. he wouldn't tell me, but I did hear him saying that Igneel was real and that he'd find him one day." 

"That sounds like a panic attack to me.." Bickslow, who's been quiet the whole time, mumbles. Freed nods in agreement. "Is it possible that the panic attack lead to this? Has he been taking proper care of himself?" Laxus asks the blue cat, who tilts his head. It was like a light bulb went off and his tail puffs up. "come to think of it.. that day he was training, he used up a lot of magical energy.. and the next couple of days he didn't do much besides sit in the nest and stare at the wall." 

So that was it then. The brat wasn't taking proper care of himself.. "I'll start some soup I guess." The lightning mage sighs, shaking his head as he shuffles back into the kitchen area. "Why don't you go relax Happy, we'll watch him." Evergreen promises. The Exceed looks suspicious, but he nods and flies off down the hall and into the living room, where he dropped himself into his cat bed with a soft, tired sigh. 

"I've never seen the fire punk like this before. It's a little scary." Bickslow says idly as he crouches down beside Natsu, who is looking up at them now and trying to make his eyes focus. "I'll go see if I can get some fever medicine from the infirmary, I should be back in half an hour." She announces, then she takes her leave. Leaving Natsu alone with Bickslow and Freed. 

The rune mage takes a seat in a chair by the open bedroom door, silently watching as Bickslow maneuvered Natsu to lay back down and rest. The fire mage grumbled in protest, but didn't have the strength to do much else. As soon as his head hit the pillow he was out like a light. 

As promised, Evergreen returned with the medicine, along with a care package from a concerned Mirajane. She set the package on the table and checked up with Laxus before getting the medicine to Natsu. The soup would be done in a few minutes, it was cooling a little as Laxus rummaged about the kitchen in search of dishes to use. 

"Mnn.. don' wanna.." Natsu slurs, struggling to sit up even with Bickslow's help. The soul seeing mage had to rest Natsu against his chest just so he wouldn't fall over again. He had to admit that Natsu's fever was so bad that he might have to pull a Gray and lose his shirt. The poor boys skin was so warm it was ridiculous. 

"Medicine first, then you can eat." Evergreen told him in a soft tone. But Natsu was being stubborn. He refused to take the medicine. Laxus came in just in time to see Natsu pushing her away with all his strength, which was embarrassing because she didn't so much as stumble from it. 

The lightning mage was completely done at this point and snatched the medication from Evergreen's hand, kneeling down between Natsu's legs and grabbing his jaw in an iron grip. "Knock it off idiot." He says in a deep, authoritative tone. Natsu immediately tenses and stops struggling. "Sorry Igneel.." he mumbles out, startling everyone in the room. Natsu thought Laxus was Igneel? 

"Take it." Laxus held a spoonful of liquid medicine to Natsu's lips and the pink haired boy obeyed, opening his mouth and accepting the disgusting tasting medicine. He sputters and gags a little but after a couple sips of water and a short coughing fit the medication is taken and the food is being brought over.

It's much easier to get Natsu to eat the soup, but he only eats a third of it before he's pushing it away. Laxus deems it progress and doesn't push further. After getting Natsu resituated once more they leave him be so that the fire mage can rest. But a whine makes them stop. "Don' leave Igneel.. please? Can we sleep like old times?" Natsu pleads, eyes watering. Laxus can't fathom why or how Natsu could mistake him for his Dragon father figure, but if it means Natsu will settle then he'll do what he wants. 

Shedding his shirt and shoes, Laxus climbs into the oversized nest and settles down next to Natsu. The boy cuddles up to Laxus' side and falls asleep almost instantly. Well that was easier than he thought. The blonde lays awake for another hour or so before he, too, falls into a deep sleep. 

The next morning, Natsu is doing so much better. His fever is much better, but not gone, his eyes aren't so glazed over anymore and his appetite is improving. He doesn't seem to understand how or why The Thunder Legion would be in his home of all places, but after a quick explanation and an 'yeah that sounds like Mira..' things started to improve. 

Neither Laxus or anyone else brought up the fact that Natsu mistook the lightning mage for his dragon father, and when Erza returned and heard what happened. She was furious that Natsu let himself spend so much energy that he'd gotten sick. 

Things were starting to get back to normal again and a week later Natsu was being reprimanded for destroying three houses in a village. Gray, Erza and Gajeel right there with him as they, too, were in for it.


	6. Friction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one isn't as good, I had a little trouble. But I hope you guys still enjoy it. 6 letters down! 20 to go, I'm real hyped.

It was a typical day in the Fairy Tail guild, alcohol was being drank, scuffles were breaking out and being quickly ended by the scary Erza, all in all, it was a good day. Everyone was happy. 

All except one. Gray really didn't want to deal with anything that morning. He'd woken up feeling nauseous and even the stench of everyday life was making him feel sick. Unfortunately for him there was one member in particular that just wouldn't stop. 

That damn salamander just wouldn't leave him alone. "C'mon Gray! Fight me!" He'd shout, causing Gray's face to scrunch as he tried to rub away the impending migraine. "Don't feel like it. Piss off." He'd mumble back. It earned him shocked and concerned looks. 

The next thing he knows there's a mass of pink in his face and when he looks up Natsu is standing there, hands on his hips and leaning in close. If Gray didn't know any better he'd say Natsu was searching him for something, but then again maybe he was, since he started to sniff him. 

"You smell funny." Natsu tells him, Gray feels his eye start twitching. "Yeah? Then go away." He huffs. Natsu gives a 'tsk' in reply. The fire mage turns and puts his arms behind his head, so Gray goes back to zoning out, thinking that was over with. Then all of a sudden he's on the floor in a headlock. 

"Cheer up, pervy icicle!" Natsu grins like a madman and Gray feels something snap inside of him. It's surprisingly easy to gain the upper hand from Natsu, and when he does he twists his arms behind his back and shoves him away. The action startles the Dragon Slayer, but it's the knee that brushes against his lower back that has his squeaking. 

The entire guild falls silent at the noise that emanates from Natsu's mouth, was that..? "Did you just.. purr?" Gray sputters out, cheeks flushed. Natsu's own cheeks turn a brilliant tomato red. "N-No!" Gray glances at where his knee had hit, then reaches his hand down to brush the spot again. Just above the others waist. 

"Ack sto- rrrrrr…" oh my GOD. That WAS a purr! "Dude that's so adorable.." Gray mumbles, continuing his assault of that spot. Poor Natsu is soon reduced to a purring mess, loud and squeaky. Gray was sure that if he had a tail that it'd be swishing wildly. 

It wasn't long before other mages came up, wanting to pet the Dragon Slayer. But it was then that Natsu decided enough was enough and he ran away. The rest of the day was boring, people ate, drank and made merry.

The next morning when Natsu came in, he was the one in a funk. He couldn't sleep last night and he was overall very irritable. He flopped into the seat between Lucy and Gray and smacked his head down on the table, groaning at the bruise he was sure was already forming from the impact. 

"What's wrong Natsu?" Lucy asks, concerned for her friend. "Nothing.." came the mumbled reply. Happy floated about with his fish, dropping down on the table. "Natsu couldn't sleep last night.. he liiiiikes Gray!" 

The death glare Natsu sent his way was totally worth it. Gray sputters and Erza looks very amused. Lucy on the other hand, doesn't seem that surprised. "Called it." She cackled. Natsu huffs and turns away from her, folding his arms underneath his head and burying his face in them. 

It was strangely quiet for a while, it was peaceful. Gray tried keeping his eyes off of Natsu, but in the end they always ended up on that same spot on the fire mages lower back. He wonders if he'll get hit if he tries to touch it again.. oh well. He reaches a hand out, carefully watching Natsu as he brushes his cold fingers across the spot. 

The Dragon Slayer shivers and a low rumble escapes him, but not an outright purr. So he tries a little harder. Digging his fingers in a little he makes a circular rubbing motion. This one gets a purr. Lucy and Erza perk up at the sound, confused. "Did someone bring a cat into the guild..?" Happy snickers in reply to Lucy's question. 

Gray smirks and expands his range, now rubbing up and down that area of Natsu's lower back. "rrrrrrrrr…" that was definitely a louder purr. Now the girls' attention was on Natsu, who had shifted a little. His face was visible now and he had a slight flush, but he looked peaceful and relaxed. Gray feels proud of himself. Not only did he make the flame brain feel better, but he also got the satisfaction that he was the reason he was purring as well. 

"Oh yeah. He was purring up a storm yesterday." 

"S-Shut up pervy stripper!" 

"Make me ash for brains!" 

"Stop touching me and I wi- rrrrrrrrr!" 

"You were saying?" 

"Cheater.."

The rest of the day was interesting. Natsu and Gray scuffled, being broken up by Erza, who then joined in on making Natsu purr. Who knew the scary Titania Erza would have a thing for purring?


	7. Gifts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so, for this one I had some trouble. I wanted to do a few G words so I ended up combining Garden, Gazebo, Gift and Geese. I hope you guys like it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Let's play, count how many G words did I use in this chapter. Cause it sure feels like a lot! It was totally unintentional though.

It was a cold, cloudy day in Magnolia. Winter was blowing in quickly and the citizens were scrambling to get ready for the cold weather. Gray didn't mind the cold, if he were honest, It made his magic that much stronger. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for his boyfriend of three years, Natsu. 

The poor fire mage was prone to colds and nearly unpredictable magic this time of year. But that didn't seem to stop him from being as active and lively as any other season. It was something Gray was glad for, he loved seeing Natsu with a happy expression. 

Currently, he was walking through the streets, trying to figure out what to get him for the holidays. It was harder then Gray cared to admit, he never imagined it would be so hard to shop for a flame headed pyro. Eventually, Gray found himself standing in front of a bookstore. Maybe as a gag gift he could get Natsu something really stupid.. 

With a devious smirk, the ice mage walks in. The bell dings, alerting the little old lady at the front counter to a potential customer. "Hello young man, how can I help you this chilly winter evening?" She asks sweetly. Gray simply smiles and makes his way up to the counter.

"I'm looking for a book for a friend, he's uh.. eccentric. Loud, annoying and doesn't know when to quit." He explains to her. She lets out a little laugh and holds up a finger. "I know just the book." She leaves him there for a few minutes before coming back and setting down a thick book. Gray raises an eyebrow. "Moby Dick?" 

She nods. "Yes. I have a regular customer who is exactly as you described. He loves these types of books, so maybe your friend will like this one." She explains. Gray looks suspicious, but he nods and buys it. The kind old lady bags it after receiving her payment, bidding him a good evening. 

Gray still isn't sure about this, but he's sure it'll be a great gag gift! After a little more walking he ends up at the park entrance, he looks towards the sky, the sun was getting low. Natsu should be here soon. The ice mage looks around for their rendezvous spot, a little wooden gazebo in the middle of the park. 

Once he finds it, he's shocked to see that Natsu is already there. And he's even more shocked to see him reading a book. He honestly didn't think the fire mage read books. "Hey Natsu, your early.." Gray greets, earning him a wide eyed look and a fumble as Natsu tried to hide the book. 

"I could say the same about you.." he mumbled with a pout. Gray raises an eyebrow, making his way over and standing next to Natsu. The fire mage fidgets as he stands as well, and for an awkward moment they just stare at each other. Then Gray gets an idea. He smirks, setting his bag down and slowly wrapping his arms around Natsu's waist. 

He pulls the dragon slayer close and pecks his cheek. It got Natsu to relax, so Gray took the opportunity to snatch the book from him. Natsu honest to God squaked. He couldn't help but laugh. "Lets see what a pyro likes to read." He teases, watching as Natsu flushed furiously. When Gray turned the book over his eyes widened. 

Now this is a book he never thought Natsu would like. "Edgar Allan Poe..?" The ice mage questions, Natsu looks away. "I never would have guessed that you liked poetry." He watches the fire mage carefully, he notices that he almost looks scared. "It's cute." Gray says after a moment, smiling that gentle smile that's only for Natsu. Said fire mage perks up, visibly relaxing. 

He returns the smile. "So, im guessing that extensive book collection isn't Happy's." Gray states with a chuckle, Natsu flushes again but nods. "Nope.. they're mine.." he laughs nervously. "You're adorable, you know that?" The ice mage sets the book aside and pulls Natsu close again, swaying gently as he rested his forehead against Natsu's. 

"Liar.." the fire mage huffs. Gray simply rolls his eyes. Natsu used to have such a hard time believing anyone would like him for more than fighting, but slowly Gray has broken down that barrier and showed him that he was liked for much more than that. "Well, I guess I know who the old lady at the bookstore was talking about now." His mouth twitches upwards at the look of confusion on his boyfriend's face. 

Gray holds up a finger and then grabs his bag, handing it to Natsu. "Merry Christmas." The ice mage murmurs as he leans in to steal a kiss. Natsu sighs contentedly and kisses back. This man drove him nuts, but he loved him so much. He couldn't help the rumbling purr that escaped his throat and vibrated throughout his entire body. 

With an excited gleam in his eyes, Natsu opens the bag and pulls out the book. His eyes go wide and his smile looks like it might split his face. "Oh wow! I've been looking for this one!" Natsu giggles, yes giggles, Gray can't believe it. He's never seen Natsu so excited. A different type of excitement then he typically sees. He wants to see this type of excitement more often, it looks good on the dragon slayer. 

"Thank you Gray, this is the best gift!" The ice mage suddenly finds arms around his neck as a warm body I thrown at him, he instinctively wraps his arms around it, smiling back. "I'm glad you like it. Honestly, it was supposed to be a gag gift." He admits, the confession makes Natsu laugh. "It's a great gag gift. Let's walk?" He asks, already hooking an arm with his ice mage. 

"Let's." Gray responds, grabbing the rest of their things. "What's this?" He asks, spotting something gold colored in the bag Natsu had. Natsu smiles wide again. "Merry Christmas! It's your present, I uh.. I hope it's ok. I made it." He says, watching as gray pulled out a golden earring with a dragon etched into it. "You made this? I had no idea you were so creative.." he mumbled. Now he feels like he underperformed. 

Natsu snorts. "Well, if I'm completely honest.. I made it after our first date, but I thought it was a little much so.." Gray swears his jaw hit the floor. "First date as in.. first date, or first fight..?" Natsu blushes once more. "First fight..?" He confessed. "Dude that was like.." Gray has to actually use his fingers to count. "When we were like 10, you've had this for that long?" 

He received a shove in response. A loud honk soon followed, but neither mage thought anything of it. "I was following my instincts! It's not my fault!" Natsu flails as they continued their walk. Gray can't help but laugh loudly. Honestly Natsu was so adorable he could barely stand it sometimes. "How did you even know I had a pierced ear?" He asks curiously. Natsu looks away with a huff. It's one of the first things I noticed about you actually.." 

Gray hummed in response. A little ways behind then was the continuous sound of 'Honk honk honk honk!' but he didn't notice as he put the earring in. "It won't tarnish or scratch either, I had the jeweler I town put a protective polish on it." Natsu says with a smile, he was certainly proud of himself. "Yeah? Thanks Natsu. I love-" before Gray could even finish that sentence he was suddenly attacked by wild Geese. 

"What the hell is they're problem?!" He shouts, surprised by the sudden attack to his legs. Natsu snickers and runs ahead. "I think you stepped on one so they're retaliating!" He calls back, Gray then remembered the disgruntled honk he heard when Natsu had shoved him. "hey get back here! This is your fault you know!" He shouts after the fire mage as he too starts to flee from the flock of angry devil birds. 

They spent the better part of an hour trying to flee, but the geese always found them. Eventually they scaled a tree and had to wait them out, they had a good laugh and playful nudges before settling to watch the stars. This was by far, the best Christmas ever in Natsu's opinion.

And he wouldn't trade it for the world.


End file.
